1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a system and method for distributing one or more digital photographic images from at least one capturing device, such as, for example, a digital camera or other mechanism having digital photographic capabilities, and one or more receiving devices, wherein the receiving device(s) is cooperatively structured to automatically and/or selectively receive the digital photographic image(s) from the capturing device.
2 . Description of the Related Art
Historically, photography, which includes the capturing of still and/or moving images, has been the source of interest and attention for many individuals, and is commonly employed for a variety of purposes, including, for business, pleasure, and as an art form. Particularly, scientists, artists, police enforcement, advertising agencies, and/or the general public use photography and/or capture still and moving images in a number of different circumstances and for various reasons. In particular, the capturing of photographic images may be used as a source of entertainment, to preserve memories, capture special moments, tell a story, or send a message.
In addition to a device structured for the primary purpose of capturing images, such as a camera, a number of other electronic devices, such as, for example, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (“PDA”), etc., include mechanisms and/or various devices for capturing one or more still and/or moving digital photographic images. These various devices allow users to capture images in virtually any location, at virtually any time, and in virtually any situation, and thus the prevalence of photography in today's society continues to increase.
Oftentimes, groups of individuals appearing in a proximate location to one another find themselves capturing or attempting to capture digital photographic images of the same or similar object(s), scenery, people, etc. Moreover, these groups of individuals are often friends, family, and/or acquaintances that have the desire to share, distribute, and/or obtain copies of the digital photographic images captured by one another.
For exemplary purposes only, weddings, parties, vacations, sporting events, tours, etc., provide an ideal situation where a number of individuals such as, friends, family members, or acquaintances, may be simultaneously taking photographs, attempting to take photographs, or otherwise have the desire to obtain copies of photographs taken by other individuals. In such a situation, it is rather common for one or more of the photographers or individuals capturing the digital photographic image(s) to express his or her intent to share or otherwise distribute the image(s), for instance by e-mailing them directly to the other individuals and/or uploading the image(s) to an accessible location on the World Wide Web. For example, many web sites and/or companies, including, SHUTTERFLY®, KODAK® EASYSHARE®, and SONY® IMAGESTATION®, provide services for uploading and sharing photographs. While this may be one way to share the image, it is not ideal, as oftentimes, the images are in fact never sent, uploaded, or shared as initially intended. In addition, even in the event the digital photographic images are in fact uploaded to the web servers, it may take days, weeks, or even months to do so, and further, use of these third-party services may often lead to excessive, unnecessary frustration and aggravation.
As such, there is a current need in the art for an image distribution system and method which is structured to dispose one or more capturing devices in a communicative relation with one or more receiving devices for instantaneous, automatic, and/or selective distribution of images therebetween.